Milestones I
by DrawnToDarkness
Summary: A series of related drabbles and one-shots from webisode #1 to 5x06 from Becker's perspective. Most, if not all, will have a Jess/Becker slant. I'm just hopelessly addicted ;)
1. Colourless

Title: Milestones 1: 1 Colourless  
Author: DrawnToDarkness  
Rating: T  
Character/Pairing: Becker, Jess, hints of Becker/Jess friendship  
Prompt: Colourless  
Summary: Companion piece to webisode #1, first in a new series of related one-shots.  
Disclaimer: This show and these characters aren't mine. If they were, series six would be in the can and series seven would be well underway. No disrespect or copyright infringement is meant, and I'm not getting anything out of this but the pure enjoyment of writing about the characters I love.

Author's Note: Milestones 1 is a series of related one-shots, all from Becker's point of view, taking us from webisode #1 all the way up to 5x06. Each one-shot is inspired by a prompt, taken from a generic list of 100 random words. It started as a writing challenge to myself and kind of snowballed from there! The series will, I'm sure, get more and more Jess/Becker focused as it progresses ;)

* * *

He was used to seeing in black and white, with murky greys in the areas between. He was used to a world of shadow and darkness, of memories so terrifying that even nightmares couldn't compete.

He was used to feeling jaded, broken. Guilty. The burden he carried was invisible to see but he felt it in the form of scars on his heart.

He was supposed to save and protect, not let those around him die and disappear.

Captain Becker hesitated on the threshold of the ARC, knowing he didn't want to step inside but, seeing it as his punishment, that he had to.

He couldn't atone for what he'd done, couldn't make it right.

Couldn't walk away knowing what dangers existed in the world that few even knew about.

The lift ride down to operations seemed to take both an age and no time at all. All too soon, he found himself standing in front of the gleaming doors as they opened, revealing the future that awaited him.

It looked different, but felt the same.

The pressure in his chest tightened, his breath escaping him in short, silent puffs.

And then she spoke.

"Captain Becker. Welcome back to the ARC. Well, the new ARC. You have no idea how good it is to finally have some company here."

Her voice was like sunshine breaking through the clouds on a rainy day, a shining beacon of light in the dark he'd become so accustomed to.

"I'm supposed to report to Parker."

Her smile was bright, undaunted by the confusion colouring his tone. She held out her hand without hesitation. "Jess Parker, at your service."

"You're... You're the Field Co-ordinator."

She was an explosion of colour, unanticipated and unexpected but not, he was surprised to realise, unwelcome. He saw the pink of her high heels, the green of her dress and his gaze continued upwards, drifting over the glossy pink lips and locking with brilliant blue eyes.

"Sorry. Not usually this crazy, I promise. Well, not unpleasantly crazy. I've been here on my own for the last two weeks. Just me and the creatures. I've been going through all the mission reports."

"Fun." Becker glanced away, taking in their shadowy surroundings. Modern though it looked, the ARC felt too dark, too wrong, for someone as bright and vivacious as the young woman in front of him.

"No, they're good. Really. The best part is I already feel like I know you. And Abby and Connor and Danny." Her smile began to fade and Becker looked away again, waiting for the crushing pang of guilt at the mention of the others. Darkness began to descend on the edges of his vision but Jess spoke again, her voice chasing the shadows of his failures away. "Um, if you wanna come through, I'll get you set up."

Exhaling slowly, he focused on the Field Co-ordinator as she moved, quickly and with a grace that was somehow startling given the height of the heels adorning her feet.

She was life, she was colour. Innocence and enthusiasm, she was everything the ARC drained out of people and Becker found himself in the unusual position of hoping it wouldn't happen to her - of promising himself that he'd do whatever it could to make sure it wouldn't.

He couldn't save Cutter or Sarah, couldn't bring back Danny or Abby or Connor, but he could play his part and hope it was enough to keep anyone else from being lost like they were or broken like he was.

He listened to her talk but didn't really hear the words, focused as he was on the unfamiliar feeling fluttering inside his chest at the sound of her voice.

It wasn't love; he didn't know the girl. Narrowing his eyes as he stared at the file in his hand, Becker almost dropped the folder as he was able to pinpoint the emotion beginning to build.

Hope.

* * *

_Milestones 1.2, prompt 'Beginning', coming soon... :)_


	2. Beginning

Title: Milestones 1: 2 Beginning  
Author: DrawnToDarkness  
Rating: T  
Characters: Becker, Jess, Matt  
Pairing: Slight Jess/Becker  
Prompt: Beginning  
Summary: Companion piece/missing scene for webisode #2.  
Disclaimer: This show and these characters aren't mine. If they were, series six would be in the can and series seven would be well underway. No disrespect or copyright infringement is meant, and I'm not getting anything out of this but the pure enjoyment of writing about the characters I love.

* * *

He didn't want to like the man. That was the truth of it, plain and simple.

The reasons for it, however, weren't so cut and dry.

He could argue that Matt Anderson sounded too good to be true. Ex-military, expert in animal behaviour, one of the youngest people to ever climb Mount Everest… It all sounded brilliant on paper but Becker wasn't entirely sure in practise.

Oh, yes, and there was Jess's little comment, the one that kept playing in his mind about Matt being "fit, too."

Not that _that_ had any bearing on his feelings towards the new team leader.

Not at all.

He told himself it was because he didn't trust the man; Matt Anderson obviously had secrets and wasn't willing to divulge them. Yes, he was friendly to the rest of the team but he also wanted to implement changes Becker wasn't convinced by – and some he was absolutely adamant weren't going to happen.

Like the toy gun rumour, for example. _That_ was a stupid idea.

And the plan for all members of the security team to dress in civvies? That was ridiculous – and not something an ex-military man in his right might should suggest, lending more weight to Becker's theory that something just didn't add up about Anderson's supposed past.

Becker watched as Jess stood behind the new team leader, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth as she started lip-syncing to the Prospero induction video.

The smirk died when Anderson turned around and said something that made her smile and blush.

_He _was the one who was supposed to do that, Becker realised. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he felt his ears burn and glanced around quickly as if there might be someone standing nearby who had somehow overheard his internal musings.

The possessive streak he was developing when it came to the pretty Field Co-ordinator was one that needed to be quashed. Quickly. It was a complication he didn't need, an attachment he couldn't let form.

And if the voice in his head thought it was already too late for that…

There was just something about her, something that drove him to protect her. He tried to tell himself it was because it was his job; he was Head of Security and it was his duty to keep everyone at the ARC safe.

But, that traitorous little voice reminded him, he didn't check everyone else took their lunch break nor did he walk any of the other women working at the facility to their cars at the end of the day – even though the security in the underground car park was second to none.

Nor did it bother him when any of the other women smiled and blushed the way Jess was doing with Anderson.

He found himself gritting his teeth and watched as they left the office they'd been talking in. He took the longer route round so it wouldn't look like he'd been anywhere near them and ignored that little gleeful voice when he managed to interrupt before Jess could offer to give Anderson a tour of the building.

As Head of Security, he reasoned with himself, that was his job. Really.

He heard Jess tell Anderson that he was "nice, really" and told himself she didn't mean anything by it.

Just as he told himself the warmth that spread through him at her words didn't mean anything, either.

"I don't want to get off on the wrong foot." Anderson caught up with him, his smile easy but his eyes guarded. "We can discuss the uniforms. If you can prove they're necessary, we'll keep them."

Becker made a noise of what could've been assent, unwilling to actually acknowledge the olive branch Anderson was holding out to him.

"So, everyone seems pretty friendly so far."

As far as small talk went, the effort fell flat. As far as Becker was aware, the only members of team – besides himself – Anderson had spent more than five minutes with since arriving were Jess and Lester and somehow Becker doubted the team leader was referring to their boss.

"Jess seems nice." Out of the corner of his eye, Becker noticed Matt studying him and made a concerted effort to keep his features arranged in a neutral expression. "Bit young, though, isn't she? I mean, I'm sure she's capable but it's a lot of responsibility."

"She's the best at what she does." Even as he spoke, Becker cursed inwardly at the defensive edge to his voice. "Wait until there's an anomaly alert before you judge her. She's formidable."

"If you say so, Captain." Something flickered across Anderson's face, too quickly for Becker to identify.

"I do." Stopping just outside of the door to the armoury, Becker turned to face the new start with a hard gaze. "Everyone working here was picked because they're the best at what they do. Give them the chance and they'll prove it."

Anderson was silent for a moment before he gave a small nod and an easy grin that didn't reach his eyes. "I'm sure they will. Shall we?"

Rolling his eyes, Becker stood back and let the new team leader precede him into the armoury.

He really, really didn't want to like the man, and hoped he'd be given a reason to justify his feelings soon.

* * *

_Milestones 1.3, prompt 'work', coming soon..._


	3. Work

Title: Milestones 1: 3 Work  
Author: DrawnToDarkness  
Rating: T  
Characters: Becker, Jess, Matt  
Pairing: Slight Jess/Becker  
Prompt: Work  
Summary: Companion piece/missing scene for webisode #3.

* * *

He was trying his best to stick to his guns about not liking the team leader. He had to work with the man; he didn't have to think much of him outside of the ARC.

It helped that the rumour was apparently true; the one about the toy guns, anyway. Becker was almost certain the other rumours circulating the ARC about the man weren't - like the one about him taking Jess out to dinner one night, then Lester's PA the next, and especially the one about him being an undercover journalist. As if the intensive background checks wouldn't have picked up on something like that!

He blamed the lab techs for that one - they were always finding something to gossip about - and promised himself he'd suggest to Matt and Lester that the scientists be included in the next round of security drills. It'd keep them busy for a while, Becker thought in satisfaction, or at least make them too tired to spread lies around the ARC.

His satisfaction came to an abrupt end when he rounded a corner and saw Matt and Jess seemingly engrossed in conversation. It felt like he couldn't go anywhere without being reminded that Danny was really gone and Matt was there to take his place.

Matt - as he'd insisted in being called - barely glanced at him as he approached though Jess, to Becker's eye, took a half step back from the team leader when she noticed him.

Almost as if something in his face had given away the direction his thoughts had taken.

She seemed to see through him easier than everyone else and he'd already found himself making a concerted effort to keep his guards in place whenever she was around.

"Hey, Matt, is it true you've ordered in non-lethal weapons?" He found himself asking Matt about the EMD's at the same time as wondering if Jess had done something differently with her hair and shook himself mentally in time to catch the team leader's response – not that there was one.

"Morning, Becker." The team leader looked at him for a moment before turning back to the petite brunette clasping her clipboard and pen. "Jess, so. Three extra shelves."

"Yeah." Her gaze lowered on the clipboard, Jess gave a small nod as she wrote down Matt's request.

"I've got a lot of plants."

Annoyed at having his question ignored – and at the way Matt seemed to be staring at Jess and not acknowledging him, Becker spoke up. "The team need real guns. We're not collecting for a petting zoo. These creatures aren't just interesting, they're also deadly."

Matt gave him that Look, the one that always made Becker think the man knew something more than he was willing to share with the rest of them. "Yeah, I know."

"So you know what happens when we cut corners. People get hurt." Becker's gaze darted for a split second to Jess, imagining all too easily what a future predator could do to the inexperienced young woman doing her best to try and blend in with the wall behind her. "People die."

"Why don't you just give the new weapons a chance? You might be pleasantly surprised." Matt stared at him for a moment and Becker knew his scepticism – and frustration – was clear to read on his face. Not that it seemed to matter to the new team leader. "Jess?"

"Yeah. Lots of shelves, lots of plants. Got it." Jess smiled but her eyes flickered between the two of them nervously.

Matt gave her a small nod and glanced at Becker. "I'll see you both at the meeting."

Becker glared at Matt's retreating back, taking a step closer to Jess as he turned his attention back to the Field Co-ordinator, who, he noted, was watching him in concern. Concern he didn't feel was warranted, and felt uncomfortable at seeing aimed at him. "He's got no idea."

"I don't know." Jess stared up at him, her blue eyes wide and trusting. "I think he's alright."

"Yeah, well, I don't trust him." And it bothered him, more than he wanted to try to explain to himself, that Jess seemed to without question. "And you'll see that the rest of the team won't, either."

He walked away, stalked off to the armoury, and stayed there until he was forced to leave or run the risk of being late to Matt's meeting. He saw Jess standing by herself, a little way from the rest of the skeleton staff that manned the ARC, and joined her.

Jess gave him a sideways glance, biting her bottom lip anxiously. Stifling a sigh, knowing she was worried about having upset him earlier – and wondering when she'd become so easy to read, too – Becker moved an inch or two closer, planting himself firmly into her personal space and vice versa. It got the message across – that he wasn't angry _with_ her – and Jess gave him one of her bright smiles before turning to Matt as the team leader entered the room.

The speech wasn't what he'd been expecting, if Becker was honest with himself. He caught Jess looking at him, an approving smile on her face when Matt said that the team's safety – including Becker's own – was his number one priority. Knowing it was that he'd been singled out for a mention that had brought a smile to the Field Co-ordinator's face caused something inside him to simultaneously ease and tighten but Becker kept his arms folded over his chest and refused to let any telltale emotion show.

He saw Lester leave his office and join them out of the corner of his eye. He tensed when Matt mentioned the findings of the committee put in charge of investigating the disappearances of his former teammates, his jaw tightening at the official decision.

As Matt declared he was rejecting the findings, Jess turned to Becker, her arm brushing his, her voice barely loud enough to be classed as a whisper. "See? I told you."

Becker didn't respond but grudgingly joined her and the others in clapping when Matt was finished.

He still didn't want to like the man but had a feeling that, like his undefinable relationship with the woman at his side, it wasn't something he was going to have much of a choice in.

* * *

_I forgot how much I love the webisodes and seeing the dynamics between these three characters. And yes, I'm aware I'm putting a very Becker/Jess slant on things but I can't help but think they seemed to get quite close quite quickly during the webisodes, then it got a little awkward between them once Abby and Connor came back on the scene. I'm working on the theory here that Becker liked Jess just as much as she liked him from the beginning but doesn't quite know what to do about it, what with everything he'd been through, so please bear with me.  
Milestones 1.4, prompt 'when', coming soon... :)_


	4. When

Title: Milestones 1: 4 When  
Author: DrawnToDarkness  
Rating: T  
Characters: Becker, Jess  
Pairing: Slight Jess/Becker  
Prompt: When  
Summary: Companion piece/missing scene for webisode #4.

* * *

As Jess rambled an apology to – at - him for putting her foot in her mouth, Becker knew it was unnecessary. He'd been on his way to apologise to her, actually, but had found the words he'd been planning to say had fled when she'd approached him in the hallway.

"Forget it. I... I completely overreacted." Putting his hands in his pockets, telling himself it wasn't to keep from reaching out to still her fidgeting hands, Becker swallowed hard. "I'm sorry. Look, I know you've been asking around about the old team." He started walking, pleased when she automatically fell into step with him. "That's okay," he added hurriedly at the apprehensive look that crossed over her features. "You can ask me anything you like; I won't bite your head off."

"Um, well," Jess waited as a blond woman Becker recognised to look at but couldn't name smiled at them as she passed them in the corridor. "I know it's probably classified and everything but there is something I don't understand."

Unable to deny her, and still feeling like an idiot for how he'd reacted earlier, Becker glanced up and down the corridor. It was too risky to start a conversation somewhere someone could overhear them – and he still didn't trust Burton enough to discuss things openly at the ARC – he reached out and put a hand against the small of her back, leading her with the slight pressure of his hand to a quiet corner of the ARC, an intersection near the unused labs still in the process of being set up for the scientists.

They sat down together on the cool steps, close enough to be able to talk in whispers.

Close enough that he could feel the warmth radiating off her and smell the faint scent of roses that seemed to cling to her hair.

"I thought Danny and the others followed Helen Cutter to the future but I've... I've heard people talking about the past," Jess stared at him earnestly, her curiosity genuine. "About early humans."

"When the others didn't return, Sarah deciphered something in Helen Cutter's diary. Site 333, the Rift Valley. It's where the human ancestors evolved. Sarah was always certain that Helen Cutter was going to try and find her way back there somehow." It was the last conversation he and Sarah had ever had, the last theory she'd shared with him before the rescue mission that had ended so badly.

A line marred Jess's otherwise smooth brow, her confusion plain to see. "Why?"

"To murder them. To wipe out the human race before it had even started."

"That woman was seriously messed up. But.. but she failed, right?" It somehow sounded like a question and, when accompanied by the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, looked like Jess thought there was a chance saying it aloud would somehow made them all fade away, wiped out like Helen Cutter planned. "We're still here."

"Yeah." Given that he'd felt more alive in the weeks since he'd been at the new ARC – since meeting her – than he had since the others had disappeared and Sarah had died, Becker could only agree and hope she couldn't tell what he was thinking. "Seems like it."

"Your friends figured it out. They stopped her." And in Jess's eyes, that made them heroes. Just like she saw him as a hero, no matter what he did to try and dissuade her of the notion.

To Becker, it meant they'd been doing their jobs, just like he did his job every time an anomaly was detected. They weren't heroes; they were just trying to do the right thing.

He got to his feet and held out a hand, helping her get to her feet. Her hand felt small in his, soft, and he kicked himself mentally when he felt bereft when he let it go.

Connections were something he couldn't avoid; attachments were something he couldn't afford to have.

Not that Jess seemed to be giving him a choice in the matter, he thought with an internal sigh as she gazed up at him, her eyes shining. "Thank you," she said softly, "for talking to me. Not that you don't usually talk to me but I know it's hard for you to talk about the past, about the others and what happened and..."

"Anytime," he found himself interrupting her, surprised that he meant it. "I mean it, Jess. You can ask me anything. I can't guarantee I'll always answer..." He added with a small smirk, needing to lighten the moment before it got too heavy.

She smiled and rolled her eyes but made no attempt at extending the conversation. In a companionable silence, they walked through the maze of corridors that was the ARC, going their separate ways at an intersection that would take him towards the armoury and her towards the hub.

* * *

_And that's the last of the webisodes covered, which makes me sad because I love them so. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the reviews - I'm so in love with this fandom and this pairing and it's so lovely to hear from like-minded people. I seriously do a little happy squee every time I get an email :)  
4x01 is next up, in Milestones I part 5 "teammates"._


	5. Teammates

Title: Milestones 1: 5 Teammates  
Author: DrawnToDarkness  
Rating: T  
Characters: Becker, Jess  
Pairing: Slight Jess/Becker  
Prompt: Teammates  
Summary: Companion piece/missing scene for episode 4x01

* * *

It happened gradually, so much so that Becker found himself sitting down to lunch with Jess and Matt in the cafeteria almost without conscious thought. He didn't even realise it himself until he was halfway through his sandwich, listening to Matt tease Jess about her habit of automatically adding a kiss and smiley face to her text messages – not a problem, really, until she'd been asked to send the Minister's office a message on Lester's behalf and had forgotten she wasn't using her own phone.

Becker stopped, sandwich halfway to his mouth, brow furrowed as he realised that it didn't feel strange to be listening to – and occasionally joining in – with the conversation.

In fact, it kind of felt… _right._

Despite his best efforts to keep a professional distance, he'd somehow become part of the strange team that was Matt, Jess and himself without intending to. And when he thought about it, he'd become closer to the men under his command, too. It wasn't unusual to exchange banter with his soldiers on the way back from an anomaly alert, particularly if it was a bad one.

_Damn_.

So much for not forming attachments, Becker thought ruefully, though was quick to comfort himself with the thought that they were _just_ teammates. _Not_ friends.

Forming professional relationships in the workplace wasn't necessary but they did have their benefits. Fostering trust and respect would help in the dangerous situations they found themselves in on a daily basis and, justifying his lunches with Jess and Matt on the grounds that it was almost like team building, Becker felt a little bit better.

And then it happened. Matt excused himself to attend a meeting with Lester and Jess stood, ready to head back to the hub. As was rapidly becoming tradition, Becker found himself walking with her – at least until the intersection where they'd need to start going in different directions to reach their respective destinations.

"I'm glad you and Matt are getting on now," Jess said after a few moments of walking in silence. "I knew you'd be friends eventually."

The 'f' word made him panic as the faces of his former team flashed through his mind. "We're not friends, Jessica. We're colleagues."

"Colleagues and friends, yes."

"No, just colleagues. I don't have friends in the workplace."

Jess's step faltered, an eyebrow arching as she glanced at him. "You don't?"

"No." Becker's jaw clenched and he forced himself to look ahead instead of at the woman standing beside him. "Not anymore."

When Jess spoke, her voice was soft. "Then we're not friends?"

"No. We're colleagues." Somehow, the word both felt and sounded wrong when used to describe Jess but Becker told himself to stay firm, even when he caught a glimpse of the hurt flash in her eyes. _Especially_ when he caught a glimpse of hurt in her eyes. It was better she knew now than hold out some kind of hope that he could... that they would... in the future.

"Right." Jess cleared her throat and attempted a smile. "I better go then. Back to work."

Feeling like he'd done something terrible, like kicking a small puppy, Becker stared at her remorsefully as she took a step away. "Jess…"

"It's fine, Captain." Her shoulders were squared, her features arranged in a calm, emotionless mask that seemed incredibly unnatural for the usually animated young woman. "If you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to my desk and oversee the transfer of the dracorex to its new enclosure."

He watched her go, fighting an internal war. Part of him wanted to call her back or follow her, to tell her that _if_ he had a friend at the ARC, it would be her. Part of him thought it was best to keep things the way they were – to let her be disappointed and hurt for a while because, in the long run, that would make it easier for him to maintain some degree of distance between them.

Stifling a sigh, he shook his head and made his way to the small office attached to the armoury that had been assigned to him, aware he'd probably not be able to get the look of hurt on Jess's face out of his mind even if he buried himself in paperwork.

He'd barely made a dint in the pile of duplicate forms on his desk when the alarms went off and Jess's voice sounded over the comms, announcing the escape of the Dracorex. He was on his feet in an instant, his heart quickening as much as his pace when he heard where the Dracorex was heading: towards Ops, the hub – and Jess.

'Teammates,' he reminded himself as he raced through the hallways towards Ops. 'Just teammates, just colleagues.'

He had a feeling he was going to have to work harder to convince both Jess and himself that that was true.

* * *

_Abby & Connor are almost back! Yay! And, as always, **THANK YOU** for the reviews. Prawn Crackers, YouHaveLovelyHair, SveaR, Primevalyank, Finchozombie, katdemon1895, Cehsja, Mijo & Guest - I appreciate all of your lovely words and support. Next prompt is "friends"..._


	6. Friends

Title: Milestones 1: 6 Friends  
Author: DrawnToDarkness  
Rating: T  
Characters: Becker, Jess, Abby, Connor  
Pairing: Slight Jess/Becker, Abby/Connor  
Prompt: Friends  
Summary: Companion piece/missing scene for episode 4x02

* * *

He had a sinking suspicion that he was doomed.

And that Jess was laughing at him silently from across the table.

Teammates, he'd reasoned with himself, might occasionally eat lunch together and they might even stretch to sharing a quick pint down at the local pub after work on the odd occasion but not this.

Teammates didn't spend evenings eating takeout in their colleague's flats and they certainly didn't buy chocolate for each other for no real reason.

The former Becker thought he could explain away if needed: Abby and Connor had wanted to celebrate both of them being back on the team and, since they'd been away for over a year, it made sense that they'd invite him around for tea to catch up on what they'd missed.

And of course it made sense for Jess to be there, too - it was her flat, after all.

That was all fine, of course, and fitted in with his 'just colleagues' frame of mind - or at least that's what he told himself.

Just as he told himself that his scrutiny of Jess's flat - when no one was watching him - was purely out of concern one colleague had for another on the security of their personal surroundings outside of the ARC.

The chocolate, though, that was a sticking point.

He'd bought Jess chocolate - not orange - for no other reason than he'd wanted to. Well, that and because he'd heard her ask Matt and for some reason had decided it wasn't the team leader's job to see to the needs of the pretty Field Co-ordinator.

No. Not pretty. Well, she was - she was beau- no. She was just the Field Co-ordinator. No other adjectives allowed or needed.

He tried to tell himself he bought it because he owed her for realising something was going on with Matt and Abby or because he owed her an apology for hurting her feelings but, being honest with himself, he knew that wasn't why he'd bought it. It might have worked as an excuse if he'd thought of it before he'd put the chocolate bar on the desk of the ADD but, as it'd only come to him as he sat opposite her in her flat eating Chinese, Becker didn't think he could convince himself it was true.

Fortunately for the soldier, Connor was happy keeping the conversation going on his and Abby's end, telling story after story of their time in the Cretaceous and Jess seemed happy taking over from him and filling them in on what had happened in their absence. Abby, Becker noticed, was quiet, no doubt trying to take in everything and convince herself they really were back where they belonged.

As if hearing his thoughts, the blond woman looked up from the noodles she'd been pushing around on her plate. A smile curled the corners of her mouth as she glanced between him and Jess, an eyebrow arched in silent speculation.

Breaking eye contact, Becker reached for the last of the prawn crackers and missed the knowing smirk that appeared on Abby's face.

Oh, yes, Becker thought, crunching down on the cracker. He was pretty sure he was doomed.

* * *

_Next up, Milestones I part 7, prompt "where"_


	7. Where

Title: Milestones 1: 7 Where  
Author: DrawnToDarkness  
Rating: T  
Characters: Becker  
Pairing: None  
Prompt: Where  
Summary: Missing scene for episode 4x03.

* * *

Glaring at the locked anomaly didn't help, nor did it give him the answers he needed but Becker couldn't bring himself to stop.

He listened to Connor and Abby as they insisted he reopen the anomaly, listened to Jess's silence as she kept herself from agreeing with his teammates even though he knew she did. Given the way he'd acted last time she'd so much as mentioned someone going through an anomaly, Becker didn't blame her for biting her tongue.

He listened to the screams in his head, replayed the memory of Sarah calling for him before the predators found her, and found his fingers itching to press the code that would cause the locking device to stop doing its job.

'Where are you, Matt?' He thought to himself, angry and frustrated that there was no way of knowing.

The team leader had said he understood, had promised that the safety of the team – his own included – was his top priority.

So why the hell had he gone through an anomaly, knowing what Becker would have to do, knowing what dangers might be lurking on the other side?

There was the question of where the team leader was, too. Stuck in the past? Stuck in the future? Somewhere safe – _ha!_ – or in mortal peril somewhere? The latter, Becker knew, was far more likely but still something inside him refuse to let him move and unlock the glowing ball of gold light.

People died when they went through anomalies. People got lost and some of them couldn't find their way back home.

Becker stared at the anomaly, his grip on his gun tightening as the internal war raged on inside his mind.

'Where the hell are you, Matt?'

* * *

_Next up, Milestones I part 8 with the prompt "school"_


	8. School

Title: Milestones 1: 8 School  
Author: DrawnToDarkness  
Rating: T  
Characters: Becker, Matt, Jess  
Pairing: Slight Jess/Becker  
Prompt: School  
Summary: Missing scene for episode 4x04

* * *

His school days hadn't quite been the best days of his life, contrary to what the old saying said they should be, and that wasn't something he was going to change his mind about. Not when it looked – and felt – like the last day of his life was going to be spent in school, too.

The only good thing he could say was that the pain of the bite itself was fading in the wake of the paralysis spreading through his body.

He could hear Matt and Jess's voices in his ear but couldn't get his arm to cooperate and lift his hand up high enough to activate the mic on his own comm. so he could reply.

He heard the panic in her voice, the anxious way she called his name and doubled his efforts only for them to fail each time.

"… 'm here, Jess…"

It was barely a whisper, barely audible over the pounding of his heart as the adrenaline surged through his system, trying and failing to counteract the venom in his blood.

When Matt's face appeared in front of him, Becker found himself feeling both relieved and disappointed. Relieved because it meant there was hope, or at least that he wouldn't die alone.

Disappointment because Matt really wasn't the last person he wanted to see if he was going to die.

When the team leader left him to go and get salt, Becker kept muttering his name, praying he'd make it back in time to make a difference but it wasn't Matt's face he kept seeing in his mind.

_Jess_.

Colleague. Teammate. _Friend_.

Try as he might to deny it, none of those words seemed to describe exactly what the young Field Co-ordinator had come to mean to him.

Lying on the cold floor, his body slowly giving in to the poison coursing through his veins, Becker found himself wishing he'd had the courage to tell her that, to take the chance and maybe give whatever was growing between them a chance.

Wishing…

* * *

He'd had the chance to say something and he'd blown it.

Disappointment and frustration in himself at his inability to save the girl and keep Jess from having to witness her death had welled up inside him, taking the place of the relief and gratitude he knew he should be feeling that he was alive.

He listened to her try and put a positive spin on his actions, saw the bright optimism shining her eyes joined by emotions that – if he was honest – _terrified_ him and found himself snapping at her instead of telling her everything he'd wished he'd had a chance to when he thought he wouldn't get the opportunity.

It wasn't until he was halfway home, with Matt as his designated driver, that the regret really started to set in, kicking the guilt he was already feeling up a couple of dozen notches.

"You okay, Mate?" Matt glanced at him as he stopped at a red light, the arched eyebrow suggesting the team leader already knew the answer.

Even knowing it wasn't Matt's fault, Becker glared at him for asking what felt to him to be such a ridiculous question.

"You want to talk about it?" Matt's offer seemed genuine but Becker, ever one to deny his feelings let alone that he had a problem relating to them, merely clenched his jaw and went back to staring out of the window. As the light changed from amber to green, Matt eased the truck forward again. "You can always say sorry. It's pretty much guaranteed Jess'll forgive you no matter how much you messed up."

Annoyed – both at Matt's assumption that he'd done something wrong and at being so obvious the team leader had been able to guess– Becker huffed indignantly. "What makes you think I've done something to Jess?"

Matt smirked but kept his eyes on the road. "Just a guess. Besides, from the way she ran out of ops to find you, I thought she'd have offered to drive you home instead. Figures that you said something to upset her or you'd be in her car now, not mine."

They drove the rest of the way in silence, with Becker neither denying nor confirming Matt's suspicious. It was only when the Head of Security stopped Matt from leaving his flat, hastily scribbling something down on a piece of paper before hobbling after him to the door with a five pound note in his hand that the topic was brought up again.

"A tip isn't necessary," Matt joked, eyebrow arched at the money being offered to him. "I'll claim the petrol back on expenses."

"It's for chocolate. For Jess," Becker clarified gruffly, unable or unwilling to meet Matt's knowing gaze. "You can stop by somewhere on your way back."

"I can, can I?" Matt glanced down at the note he'd been passed, a hastily scrawled _'I'm an idiot – B'_ - a smirk causing the corners of his mouth to twitch. "I suppose I can. For Jess."

"Nothing with orange in it," Becker reminded him as the team leader turned to leave the flat. "She hates that."

"Nothing with orange," Matt repeated, pleased his back was turned so the soldier couldn't see his reaction. "Got it."

Becker watched him disappear down the stairs leading to the ground floor and shut the door to the flat behind him, leaning against it heavily.

Apology sent, there was nothing he could do but wait.

* * *

_Next up: Milestones I part 9, prompt "Home"._


	9. Home

Title: Milestones 1: 9 Home  
Author: DrawnToDarkness  
Rating: T  
Characters: Becker, Jess  
Pairing: Jess/Becker  
Prompt: Home  
Summary: Missing scene/companion piece for episode 4x05

* * *

He received a brief text message in response to his apology, a simple _'Thank you for the chocolate - J :)'_

There was no kiss.

Becker told himself Jess was just being cautious - after the incident with Lester's phone and the Minister, she had a reason to be - but that didn't stop the disappointment when the little symbol was absent from the message he'd received.

His first day of sick leave passed slowly, without much in the way of activity. He kept checking his phone - hoping for what, he wasn't sure - in between frequent naps and channel flicking.

By the end of day two, he was ready to find the person responsible for the daytime television schedules and shoot them with his EMD.

Day three brought with it text messages from Abby and his Second-in-Command. The latter's was a brief message to say there'd been an anomaly alert but the former's made him grin.

_'Jess wants to know if UR OK but won't txt herself. Said not a friend?!'_

He started to send a message back, his fingers hesitating as he toyed with the idea of texting Jess directly. Deciding against it, he addressed his reply to Abby.

_'Tell Jess I'm fine. Just bored. Heard there's been an alert? All ok?'_

Abby's reply took a little while in coming through, and Becker pictured the blond woman standing at the ADD, rolling her eyes as she conferred with the brunette Field Co-ordinator over what to write.

_'J said u should b resting, not thinking about work. Heading off with C now.'_

He told himself the disappointment he felt was because he wasn't heading off with them and not because Abby leaving the ARC meant no indirect messages from Jess. He was successful in convincing himself of that for a whole fifty-seven minutes, and then not knowing what was going on got to be too much for the hands on Head of ARC Security.

_'Is everything okay w/ the team?'_

As far as text messages went, it wasn't brilliant. Becker admitted that seconds after he pressed send. He debated with himself whether or not to send a second message elaborating – or at least adding a 'hello' - but before he could make his mind up, the phone he was holding beeped, signalling a response.

_'Everything's fine! Stop worrying and get some rest! :)'_

Becker comforted himself with the smiley face she'd added at the end of her message. If she was upset with him, he told himself, she wouldn't have added the smiley face emoticon. He set the phone aside and managed to leave it alone for five minutes before picking it up, fingers moving over the small keyboard to write a reply.

_'I'm rested. And bored. And it's my job to worry.'_

He sent it before he could question himself, reasoning that Jess was the one who – through Abby – had texted first. Plus if she was too busy or didn't want to speak to him, she'd simply not text back.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind, his phone beeped again.

_'If you were sleeping, you wouldn't be bored. And you're not working now so not required to worry. ;)'_

The smiley face winked at him. Becker grinned, both at that and the fact Jess used proper English in her messages. She might be a fan of emoticons and smiley faces but he'd heard her rant to Abby once about receiving messages from her friends she needed a translator to understand and had made a mental note ever since then to make sure he used proper English, too, whenever he had reason to text her.

Which, up until his run in with the Therocephalians, had been next to never.

_'Don't need sleep, just need something to do. Worrying = something.'_

_'Worrying isn't healthy – and won't help you get better. So stop! :)'_

_'Is that an order, Miss Parker?' _He smirked as he sent it, easily picturing the expression on her face. She'd gotten used to him calling her Jessica – didn't seem to mind it anymore, in fact – but calling her 'Miss Parker' always made her brow furrow and her eyes simmer with annoyance.

Even Lester could only get away with it every once in a while, using it only when the Field Co-ordinator had done something he felt he needed to berate her for which, Becker thought with an almost proud grin he would've been embarrassed to see on his own face, wasn't very often.

_'Would it help if it was? I can get Lester to call you… ;)'_

_'No, thanks. What's going on w/ the anomaly?'_

_'A &C are handling it. That's all I'm telling you. :)'_

_'Where's Matt?'_

_'Busy. As I am. :)'_

_'You can't be that busy if you're texting me!'_

He waited ten minutes, frowning when there was no response. Reminding himself that there was an anomaly alert and she was most likely directing the team, Becker lasted another five minutes before sending her another message. _'Jess?'_

Still no response. After fifteen minutes of imagining the worst – that a member of the team was hurt or dead, that a creature had escaped from the menagerie – he sent another message, telling himself that if she didn't reply, he'd… do something.

What, exactly, with his injured leg, he wasn't entirely clear on.

_'Jessica!'_

He was seconds away from dialling the direct number of the ADD when his phone beeped again.

_'Sorry! Was busy being busy! Didn't mean to worry you! ;)'_

Becker stared at the message, his racing heart slowing to a more acceptable rate. The winking smiley seemed to suggest she was joking and had realised how worried he had been that something had happened – to her as well as the team.

The regrets he'd had while at the school, convinced he was about to die, flooded his mind. His fingers itched to tell her, to say he'd been worried about her and was glad she was okay but the part of his mind that was deeply ingrained with the idea of keeping his distance – of making other people keep their distance – to protect both them and himself from getting hurt was putting up one hell of a fight.

His phone beeped again before he could decide either way and, sighing at the missed opportunity, Becker opened the new message.

_'A & C on their way back. Anomaly closed. M says Emily's fine, he's bringing her to the ARC.'_

The lack of a smiley face only registered after he'd sent his own message back. _'Emily?'_

_'The woman from the theatre anomaly. Seems she's been staying at Matt's but was kidnapped by someone called Ethan?'_

_'And he didn't think to tell us?!'_ Becker stabbed at the letters viciously, his eyes narrowed. As Head of Security, injured though he may be, surely he should have been informed that there were not one but two people out there who knew about the anomalies – and at least one who was aware of the ARC's existence?

_'Lester's not happy, either. Don't worry, I'll keep you updated. Got to go for a bit, have some 'clean up' to take care of. :) J x'_

The smile that spread over his face had nothing to do with her promise to keep him updated and it certainly wasn't to do with the thought of her having to 'clean up' after the anomaly. That, he knew from experience, usually meant hours of deleting CCTV footage, coming up with cover stories and, in the worst cases, informing next of kin that a civilian had been injured or killed during the incursion.

The smile wasn't even caused by the thought of Lester yelling at Matt – no matter how pleased _that_ though made him.

No, it was due to the fact that, finally, that illusive little symbol of affection had returned, meaning that he was back in her good graces once again.

Sending a message back to her, writing it quickly and pressing send before he could second guess himself, Becker let his head drop back against the couch, a satisfied smirk on his face.

_'Tell Lester I'll be back on Monday – and Matt to make sure he can explain himself. Hope the 'clean up' doesn't take too long. And thanks, for the updates. B x'_

* * *

_Long ficlet for an episode without any Becker ;) Thank you, as always, for your support and interest :) x  
Next up is 2x06 with the prompt 'Enemies'._


	10. Enemies

Title: Milestones 1: 10 Enemies  
Author: DrawnToDarkness  
Rating: T  
Characters: Becker, Jess  
Pairing: Jess/Becker UST  
Prompt: Enemies  
Summary: Missing scene for episode 4x06

* * *

If Ethan Dobrowski walked into the loft at that moment, Becker couldn't be sure that he would be able to stay where he was with a death grip on the counter-weight keeping the bomb from exploding. He could quite happily envision himself spending his last moments alive beating the living daylights out of the mysterious bomb maker... If only doing so wouldn't doom Jess to an explosive end, too.

She wouldn't leave him, no matter how many times he ordered her to.

Stubborn woman. Foolish woman. Brave, beautiful, courageous woman...

He watched her, craning his neck so he could see around the bomb to watch what she was doing and swore to himself that Ethan Dobrowski was going to pay.

Not just for what he'd done to Emily, not just for what he'd done to the innocent rightful owner of the flat he was currently standing in.

For what he'd done to Jess, for threatening her life, Dobrowski would pay.

If he lived, Becker thought ruefully. If he and Jess managed to make it through.

It felt like a lifetime had passed between Jess picking up the pliers and announcing shakily that there were two red wires and no green. He told her, again, to leave him and, again, she refused.

Although he knew he'd do the same if their positions were reversed – there was no way he'd be able to leave her to die alone – it frustrated him to no end that Jess refused to do what he said.

She was still young, still vibrant. She wasn't yet jaded by what she knew, her bright sense of optimism untarnished. She could walk – well, run – out of the building and go on to lead a full, happy life... without him.

But she refused, and Becker couldn't bring himself to think about why.

As the metronome began to tick more rapidly, he realised time was running out. He looked between the countdown device and Jess, his heart racing as he watched the determination flicker over her face where she stood behind the bomb.

At least it would be quick, he told himself. At least they wouldn't feel much...

He dropped to the floor as the ticking stopped, the weight he'd been holding too much for his aching arms to cope with. He waited for the sensation of heat and pain before oblivion, frowning when neither came.

For a second, all he could hear was the sound of his breathing, and Jess's.

_Jess._

Her eyes were wide with relief, shimmering with moisture, and her face was pale but she was alive.

Blessedly, gloriously alive.

He'd barely managed to get to his feet when she came careening towards him, her body pressed against his so tightly he imagined he could feel her heart beating as rapidly as his own.

"You are truly brilliant."

Jess pulled back to beam at him. "I know, I am!" Disbelief coloured her tone and showed on her face and Becker grinned at her before finding his arms full once again.

She felt amazing. Warm and alive and soft in all of the right places... He turned his head into her neck, inhaling the scent of her, feeling dizzy, almost giddy...

The sound of footsteps had him pushing her away. He felt bereft for a moment, regretful that the embrace had come to such a sudden end but forced himself to focus as adrenaline continued to race through his body as his soldiers raced into the room.

He shouted orders to his men, wondering where the hell they'd been that it'd taken them so long to get there, and watched Jess sag out of the corner of his eye.

Ethan Dobrowski was going to pay, Becker vowed, watching as her bravado faded, replaced by shock at what they'd been through. The man had made an enemy tonight and Becker wasn't going to forget it.

* * *

_Sorry it's a short one - the next one will make up for it, I hope, which will be 4x07 with the prompt 'Why'._


	11. Why

Title: Milestones 1: 11 Why?  
Author: DrawnToDarkness  
Rating: T  
Characters: Becker, Jess  
Pairing: Jess/Becker UST  
Prompt: Why  
Summary: Missing scene/post-ep for episode 4x07

* * *

Everything hurt.

Every nerve ending seemed to burn with over-stimulation and the pounding in his head seemed to get worse with even the slightest movement.

Eyes still closed, Becker tried to remember what had happened – how he'd come to be lying in, if his sense of smell wasn't mistaken, one of the sterile rooms in the medical bay.

The pain in his body was vaguely familiar and it took him a few minutes to place it. It was almost... almost like when Matt had shot him with the EMD. Almost, but worse.

Which made sense, Becker realised as recollection returned, since he'd been shot not once but twice with the EMD by Ethan – Patrick – whatever his name was.

A groan escaped him and he cracked open an eye, his blurred vision confirming his suspicion that he was in the medical bay. He opened his other eye and blinked, slowly, wondering how such a small movement could hurt so much.

As his vision cleared, Becker looked around the room, an eyebrow raising when he realised he wasn't as alone as he thought.

Curled up in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs that came as standard in the medical bay was none other than Jess, her high heels discarded on the floor, legs drawn up onto the seat under her body, baring a generous amount of creamy skin to his gaze.

Not that he was looking. Well, not that he _should_ be looking.

She looked small, lost. Exhausted and worried even though she was sleeping.

If he'd had the strength to do so, Becker thought he'd probably have given in to the impulse to get out of bed only to scoop her up in his arms and return to it with her warmth cradled against his chest.

It was something he'd found himself thinking of, dreaming of, with more and more regularity after the bomb incident.

Something part of him said he should resist, while the other part...

Jess stirred as he watched her, her eyelashes fluttering before her eyes opened. He watched the play of emotions cross over her face: confusion, remembrance, sadness, worry... When her gaze settled on him, she blushed when she realised he was watching her.

"Hi." Uncurling her legs from under her so she could stand and move closer to the bed, Jess smoothed down her skirt and smiled at him uncertainly. "The doctor said you'd probably sleep through the night." She glanced down at her watch and her blush deepened. "Which I suppose you did. How are you feeling? Do you need me to get someone...?"

"Why are you here?" It wasn't the question he'd planned to ask but it was the only one his mouth seemed able to form.

Jess's gaze skittered away and he realised how gruff he'd sounded – how ungrateful and unhappy. "I... I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I can go... if you want to be alone..."

"No." Despite the agony it caused him, Becker reached out and grabbed her hand before she could turn towards the door. "I didn't mean... You should be at home. It's late and you need your sleep."

"I slept here," she protested half-heartedly. "The doctor said you might be confused when you woke up, and I thought you'd want to know what's been going on."

"Yes. Of course." Reluctantly, he let go of her hand. He was pleased when Jess retook her seat, more so when she pulled the chair a little closer to the bed. "What happened to Ethan – Patrick? Is Emily okay?"

From the way she broke eye contact and stared down at her hands, Becker knew the answer wasn't going to be good. "Patrick went through the anomaly – and Danny went after him. Emily... Emily went home, back to her time. I think something happened between her and Matt but I'm not sure what. She wasn't happy about it but didn't think she'd be able to stay. And Connor went to Prospero with Philip and won't answer Abby's calls, so she's not happy. I finally convinced her to go home and get some sleep about four hours ago."

... But she hadn't gone herself, Becker noted, choosing instead to stay at his bedside so he wouldn't be alone when he woke up.

He took a moment to mourn losing Danny again, a moment to be frustrated that Ethan – Patrick – had escaped. He thought of Emily and spared a thought for Matt, who'd no doubt take her leaving hard, and he hoped Connor wouldn't let his hero worship of Burton come between him and Abby.

And then he looked at Jess and saw the strain on her face, the grief for Emily and Danny, two people she barely knew but had come to care for. The worry for Matt, Abby and Connor and himself...

She was like an open book when it came to her feelings, particularly where he was involved. He could see that whatever sleep she'd managed to get at his bedside hadn't been peaceful and hated the shadows he could see forming under her eyes.

"It'll be okay." The reassurance escaped him before he could second guess himself. He was rewarded by a small, surprised smile from the Field Co-ordinator. "It'll work out, eventually."

"I hope so. I hate it when Abby and Connor fight, and Matt finally seemed happy with Emily around..." Jess broke off and sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "At least you're going to be okay." She looked up, her cheeks flushed but her eyes worried. "You are okay, aren't you? Maybe I should get the doctor to take a look at you..."

"I'm fine, Jessica." He smiled in spite of the dull ache in every inch of his body and was rewarded by a relieved smile in return. A yawn struck him before he could say anything else. "A little tired, maybe."

"I should go and let you sleep." Jess stood up again, stepping into her shoes gracefully. She hesitated by the door, turning back to give him a shy smile that made something flip in his stomach, even more than the usual bright smiles she usually gave him did. "I'm really glad you're okay, Becker. When I saw him shoot you... I thought..." Her voice trailed off and she shook her head. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Obviously embarrassed, Jess slipped out of the room, leaving Becker staring at the closed door after her.

He closed his eyes, resting against the pillows and, instead of sleeping, found himself wondering why.

Why Jess had decided he was worth caring about, and why he seemed to be powerless to stop himself from caring, too.

* * *

_Coming to the end of series four always makes me sad and wish there were more episodes. I love this show so very, very much no matter how many times I see the episodes. *sigh* Next up, 5x01 with the prompt 'thankful'._


	12. Thankful

Title: Milestones 1: 12 Thankful  
Author: DrawnToDarkness  
Rating: T  
Characters: Becker, Abby, Matt, Connor  
Pairing: Jess/Becker UST, Abby/Connor  
Prompt: Thankful  
Summary: Missing scene/post-ep for episode 5x01

* * *

There were a lot of things he had to be thankful for, Becker realised.

Surviving the Therocephalian bite, Jess and himself surviving Patrick's bomb, surviving being shot by an EMD – twice…

Add that to Abby and Connor miraculously returning to the present, and the knowledge that Danny was alive – or had been up to his return to the past in his search for his brother - and there was a lot to be thankful for.

It just didn't always feel like it.

He watched a tear slide down Abby's cheek and wished he could do something to make it go away.

Wished there was another way of ending the threat to the general public that didn't mean taking the risk of sacrificing Connor and Matt to do it.

He listened as Jess's voice murmured in his ear, a quiet caution that Matt and Connor weren't far enough from the explosives to be safe, listened to Matt give the order to detonate them anyway, listened to Abby beg for more time, heard Lester have the final word…

"I'm sorry."

Later, he wouldn't remember who he'd been apologising to. Abby, because she'd been with him. Connor and Matt, because he'd been sure he was sending them to their deaths. Jess, because he knew she'd have to listen to the whole thing over the comm.

Or himself, because he knew that he'd never be able to forgive himself if his actions led to the deaths of two of his friends.

The explosion rang in his ears but still came second to the pounding of his heart. He raced after Abby as soon as the building was declared safe, both silently praying their teammates would somehow still be alright.

Finding Matt and Connor alive, Becker locked his knees to keep himself standing, his legs suddenly weak with relief. He bent at the waist under the guise of catching his breath, using the time to compose himself.

There was a lot to be thankful for, he told himself as he helped Connor through the darkened tunnels towards the ladder out and listened to Jess's relieved voice inform them that a medical team was on its way.

He was alive, and so were his team. They'd taken care of the threat and he'd got to use real weapons again, something he'd admit to anyone that he missed.

Now if only Lester would agree to a tank…

* * *

_I'm thankful for all of you reading this - especially those who review/add it! Next up, 5x02 with 'Strangers' - I'm hoping to get it finished tonight so fingers crossed!_


	13. Strangers

Title: Milestones 1: 13 Strangers  
Author: DrawnToDarkness  
Rating: T  
Characters: Becker, Jess, Lester  
Pairing: Jess/Becker UST,  
Prompt: Strangers  
Summary: Missing scene/post-ep for episode 5x02

* * *

From the sounds of the text messages he'd received from Jess, he'd missed quite a day at the ARC while out in the field doing training drills with the latest military recruits.

_'Team going on a submarine – anomaly in the North Sea. J x'_

_'Admiral ARC. Lester not happy. J x'_

_'Admiral sexist git. Sub gone through anomaly. Will keep you updated. J x'_

_'Admiral launching missile at anomaly. Idiot. J x'_

_'Know you probably feel guilty but I'm glad you're not with them. It's selfish but don't know what I'd do if lost you, too. J x'_

_'Sub back! Team okay! Phew! Hope your training's going well – don't work your men too hard ;) J x'_

He was almost back at the ARC when he got the last two messages. He hadn't replied to the first of the two, not sure what he was going to say in response. He had the feeling she'd sent the message on impulse, an emotional reaction to the thought of losing everyone at once.

Receiving the second message had been a relief in two ways – one that the team was okay, and the other in that he had an excuse not to reply to the first.

Instead of heading to the locker room to grab a shower like the soldiers he'd been training all day, Becker headed straight for the hub, knowing that he wouldn't be able to relax until he knew the ins and outs of what had happened in his absence. He slowed his rapid pace when he caught sight of two men he didn't recognise standing in the operations room, one who was very clearly the Admiral Jess had mentioned.

The two men were standing beside the hub, the Admiral speaking on a mobile phone. Lester, standing beside Jess's chair, was doing a very bad job at hiding a smirk while the Field Co-ordinator dutifully sat facing the ADD, her back to the rest of the room.

"Yes, yes, I understand. Yes, Sir. I'll have my report on your desk by the morning. Ah, of course. I meant this evening." The Admiral looked and sounded pained. "Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir. Goodbye." He hung up and turned to hand the phone back to Lester, the glare on his face aimed at both the Head of the ARC and the Field Co-ordinator.

Becker, his arrival unnoticed, watched, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the scene unfold.

"Mr Lester, Miss Parker." The Admiral held himself stiffly. "I will be mentioning in my report your complete lack of cooperation on this mission."

"Excuse me?"

"What?" Jess spun around in her chair as Lester took a step towards the Admiral. Too preoccupied by the Admiral's statement, Jess didn't immediately notice Becker, giving him an opportunity to study her.

She looked tired and annoyed, her blue eyes flashing indignantly. Becker bit back a grin, wondering what it said about him that he found angry Jess just as attractive as blushing, babbling Jess.

"Your lack of cooperation led to this happening," the Admiral insisted. "If I'd been given the full facts, I would have..."

"You were given full disclosure on everything relating to this mission," Lester retorted, his eyes narrowed. "Don't think I'll allow you to blame either of us for your incompetence."

Before the Admiral could reply, Jess stood from her seat at the ADD, her gaze locked on him. "You should probably be aware, Admiral, that all conversations you've had with us today have been recorded on the comm. system as you were standing by my desk and I'm required to be available to any team at any given time while on duty. The record will clearly show that you were advised, several times, that the course of action you chose was not appropriate and were given reasons why. You had as much information as we had available at your disposal and still chose to disregard the advice you were given."

Becker smirked as the Admiral's jaw dropped. Lester, he noticed, glanced from the dumbstruck officer in front of him to the calm and collected brunette at his side, his lips twitching with a smile he wouldn't let break free.

"I'm sure it would be no trouble for Jess to forward copies of those records to you, Admiral," Lester said eventually, his tone cordial. "If you think it would help when writing your report?"

The Admiral didn't reply. He glowered at them for a moment before turning on his heel and stalking out of the hub, his companion following quickly.

Becker took a step towards the ADD, quirking an eyebrow when Jess noticed him for the first time and blushed, obviously embarrassed at having had another witness to her dressing down of a Naval officer.

"Lester, I'm sorry, I know he'll probably make an official complaint..." Jess began apologising, wincing at the thought of the backlash she was almost sure was heading their - her - way.

"No apologies necessary, Jess," Lester told her, sounding as cheerful as he ever had in Becker's presence. "Nice work today. Good job. Almost deserving of a pay rise," he added as he left for his office.

Jess stared after him, her expression surprised. "_Almost _deserving of a pay rise?" She repeated, rolling her eyes as she returned to her seat to monitor the progress of the sub as it made its way back to dock.

"That's high praise from Lester," Becker commented, moving to stand beside her chair. He glanced at the screen and saw she was tracking the team, a grin on his face. "So I was thinking we should make a rule about strangers at the ARC. As in not letting them in."

Jess glanced at him over her shoulder, a bright smile curving her lips and chasing away the strain of the day just as he'd hoped it would. "That sounds like an excellent policy, Captain. We should implement it straight away."

"I'll suggest it to Lester in my next report," Becker promised, surprising himself by being half-serious about it. He hadn't liked the idea of there being strangers at the ARC in the first place – and had liked it even less when he'd had a chance to witness the Admiral's attitude towards Jess. And Lester. Of course. "Everything's okay with the team?"

"They're on their way back," Jess reported, turning back to check the screen as if to make sure nothing had changed in the two minutes she'd been facing away from it. "Matt is not happy about having a missile aimed at them. It's a good thing the Admiral has left or I think he'd have found himself on the wrong end of an EMD."

"That wouldn't necessarily have been a bad thing," Becker said with a shrug, grinning when she looked at him. "But I think you managed to put him in his place nicely. Matt'll probably want to hear a copy of that conversation when he gets back."

Jess blushed but seemed quite pleased with herself. Becker looked at her profile and debated with himself whether or not to bring up the subject of her text message.

With a sigh he did his best to stifle, he decided the moment had passed and mentally kicked himself for not replying instantly. "I'm gonna go hit the showers," he said instead, grabbing the first excuse that popped into his head. He told himself that Jess's cheeks hadn't turned a darker a shade of red and turned away from the ADD. "Let me know when they get here."

Jess answered in the affirmative and Becker continued along the maze of hallways that was the ARC, heading towards the locker rooms.

Next time, he promised himself. Next time an opportunity presented itself to have that conversation with Jess, he'd take it.

* * *

_Another long one for a Becker-less episode. I can't help it, my muse just objects to not having him in every episode whenever we do our regular rewatches of series four and five ) Next up, 5x03 with the prompt 'Fixed'._


	14. Fixed

Title: Milestones 1: 14 Fixed  
Author: DrawnToDarkness  
Rating: T  
Characters: Becker, Jess, Matt, Emily  
Pairing: Jess/Becker UST, Matt/Emily  
Prompt: Fixed  
Summary: Missing scene/post-ep for episode 5x03

* * *

The journey back to the ARC was interesting to say the least. Matt gave up his passenger seat in the front to sit next to Emily, on the pretext that the Victorian Lady might need comforting after witnessing her husband's death at the hands - well, claws and teeth - of a raptor.

To Becker's way of thinking, that didn't seem to be the case. If anything, he reflected, glancing at the couple in the rear view mirror, it was Matt who seemed to need the comforting – or reassurance, at least, that Emily was back in the present time instead of the past where he had once said she belonged.

There was something different about the team leader, a quick transformation that seemed to have taken place in the time it had taken for the back-up team to get to the museum and take over watching the locked anomaly. In the months since Emily had been gone, Matt had become more closed off – like he had been in the beginning, Becker thought – and in the short space of time she'd been back, already the team leader was smiling more easily, the lines of strain around his eyes still there but becoming a little less pronounced than they had been.

It was almost like he'd been broken, and with Emily's return he was at least on the way to being fixed.

Becker kept glancing at the them when traffic allowed, surprised at feeling both pleased for the reunited couple – and jealous for the obvious affection they were trying not to let show.

Another couple to have to watch, another example of what he wanted things to be like – of what they _could_ be like – if only he could let go of the last shred of fear that still held him back.

He kept his silence as he drove into the ARC car park, pulling the truck into his usual space. He walked behind them as they passed the security check points, watching the surprise on his men's faces change into easy – and knowing – grins.

As they approached the hub, Emily's pace quickened and she began walking in front. Falling into step beside Matt, Becker glanced at the team leader and saw the corners of his mouth twitch into a grin.

"Oh my god, Emily!" Walking towards them – well, towards Emily, Becker corrected – a smile broke out across Jess's face and she opened her arms in welcome. "I always knew you'd be back!"

"Then you knew more than me," Emily admitted, embracing the Field Co-ordinator warmly as a bright smile curled the corners of her mouth.

Becker saw the grin on Matt's face and felt a smirk arrange his own lips. "You just went back for the raptor, yeah?" He was rewarded by a flash of what he suspected was embarrassment passing over the team leader's features and his smirk grew wider. As Jess and Emily began walking back towards the ADD, Becker held out his hand for Matt's black box, ignoring the knowing smirk on the team leader's face.

"You're never allowed to go anywhere else again ever."

"It's good to see you, too."

For a moment, he thought Matt was going to say something – no doubt make a comment about him wanting an excuse to linger near the ADD – but thankfully for Becker, Matt caught a glimpse of something over his shoulder and distractedly handed over the box without a word.

Relived at the lack of an inquisition, Becker followed the women to the ADD, unashamedly eavesdropping on their conversation. He bit back a grin when Jess insisted on taking Emily shopping as soon as possible to help the Victorian adjust to her new life and fought the urge to roll his eyes when the Field Co-ordinator immediately offered her use of the spare room at her flat – a room Becker knew had only been empty for a matter of weeks, since Abby and Connor had finally found a flat of their own that they both approved of.

Emily thanked Jess for both offers and promised she'd speak to Matt about the room and let her know. It was a given, Becker thought, that the woman from the past wouldn't be expected to live in the small, basic quarters at the ARC and made a bet with himself that she'd be moving back into the team leader's flat within twenty-four hours.

Moving away from the ADD but staying close enough to keep an eye on the women engrossed in conversation beside it, Becker watched a brilliant smile flash across Jess's face and immediately felt a grin tug at his lips in response.

Maybe, he told himself, tearing his gaze away when Jess started to look around as if sensing someone watching her. Maybe if things continued to go smoothly, he'd finally have his chance and take it.

* * *

_What Becker does in this story is something he actually does on screen at the end of 5x01. Check it out just before Abby follows Matt and finds out the truth about where he's from. When Matt and Becker come into the ops room, they're laughing about something, Becker holds out his hand and Matt just gives him his black box. Why, it's almost like our favourite Captain needs an excuse to spend more time with a certain Field Co-ordinator, isn't it? ;) In 5x03, I was waiting for it - and when it didn't happen, I thought I'd write it as though it did when the camera's focused on Jess and Emily. (Though Becker does take off his jacket as he's walking to the hub with Matt, which may have fried a couple of circuits in my brain...)_

_Next up, 5x04 with the prompt 'Death'. Meep._


	15. Death

Title: Milestones 1: 15 Death  
Author: DrawnToDarkness  
Rating: T  
Characters: Becker, Jess, Abby  
Pairing: Jess/Becker UST  
Prompt: Death  
Summary: Missing scene/post-ep for episode 5x04

* * *

It was haunting him, stalking him, lurking in the shadows and getting closer with every step he took.

Death.

Not his, though Becker would have welcomed the chance to make the exchange if he could.

He'd do anything, he realised in between slow heartbeats, to save the woman he clutched desperately in his arms.

He couldn't look at Emily, knowing his own grief would be mirrored in her features along with a sympathy, an empty, an understanding he didn't want to see. He'd lost any pretence at pretending that the young woman whose life was slipping away from them hadn't come to mean something to him.

_Everything_ to him, in spite of his best efforts at keeping his distance.

His hand moved to her neck, fingertips feeling for her pulse. Becker let his head fall back against the wall, his heart aching as he counted the beats beneath his hand and was forced to accept that it was getting weaker.

He was losing Jess, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

Emily stood suddenly, hands on her hips as she paced the length of the small room. Frustration and anxiety rolled off her in waves but Becker didn't speak up and try to offer any words of comfort.

There were no words to fix it, nothing he could say to assuage her worries when he shared them so completely.

Tightening his grip on Jess, Becker closed his eyes and bent his head, pressing his face against her hair as she lay motionless against him.

"Stay with me," he whispered, a plea meant for her ears only. "Please, Jess. Stay with me."

* * *

When it came to writing his report later, he wouldn't be able to recall the journey out of the ARC when his pass code was finally accepted and the door opened. He wouldn't be able to recall running faster than he could remember ever having done without a dinosaur on his heels or breaking into the car that held the much-needed epi-pen or even the journey back to the lead-lined room where Jess was waiting.

The desperation, the frustration, the agonising fear that he was too late... Those were things he remembered too well and knew his subconscious would make him revisit time and time again in his dreams.

The relief when Abby said her pulse was getting stronger, the breathlessness he'd felt when Jess had opened his eyes and looked at him.

The regret he felt at making an excuse and leaving her side when all he wanted to do was take her in his arms again and never let go.

He kept himself busy in the immediate aftermath, needing the distraction to keep himself from heading to the medical bay where he knew she was being kept for observation. He lasted three hours, and then found himself walking along a route that was familiar but wasn't the one that would take him to his truck.

Becker heard Jess before he saw her, a tired grin tugging at the corners of his mouth at the sound of her voice. Calm but undeniably annoyed, he didn't think he'd ever heard a sweeter sound.

"I feel fine. _Really_. There is no need for me to stay here overnight."

"Miss Parker, you've suffered a serious allergic reaction. One that almost _killed _you." The emphasis the medic put on the word made Becker wince and reach out a hand to lean against the wall just outside of the medical bay. "It would be inappropriate for us to release you knowing that you live alone."

His heart began to pound and his mouth went dry. Becker hesitated outside of the room, the little voice at the back of his mind telling him it was a bad idea – a _terrible_ idea – and that he should keep his mouth shut and walk away.

It took a few minutes but he managed to silence that voice, reminding himself of the promise he'd made not to squander another opportunity to let Jess know how he felt and of the very real fact that less than four hours ago, he'd been holding Jess in his arms, fighting with death as the unseen force tried to snatch her away from him.

He took a deep breath as Jess continued to argue and pushed away from the wall, taking a step closer to the open doorway keeping him from seeing her.

"Jess can stay with us," the voice cut above Jess's own, and caused Becker to freeze. "Or I can stay over at hers. Whichever you prefer, Jess."

"You don't have to do that, Abby, I'll be fine on my own..."

"No arguments," Abby cut in, her voice firm. "I'd feel better knowing you weren't alone and Connor's probably going to stay here all night so I insist. We can get Emily over, have a girl's night in, yeah?"

"I'll probably sleep through most of it," Jess warned, sounding tired but not unhappy at the idea. Becker took a step back, away from the door and away from Jess. "But yes, thank you. It sounds nice."

"Good." Becker didn't need to see her to know Abby was smiling the satisfied smirk she sometimes got when someone agreed to her way of thinking. "Then it's settled. I'll talk to Emily, tell Con, and we can get going."

Hearing movement as Abby got to her feet, Becker turned and hurried away from the medical bay, heading instead towards the lifts that would take him to the car park.

He tried to ignore the smug little voice at the back of his head telling him it was for the best and instead tried to comfort himself with the knowledge that Jess was alive, that she was going to be okay.

And as long as that was true, it wasn't too late.

* * *

_So close! But, alas, not quite close enough. Next up is 5x05 with the prompt 'outside' - which'll be another short one, followed by the last longer one in this little series. _


	16. Outside

Title: Milestones 1: 16 Outside  
Author: DrawnToDarkness  
Rating: T  
Characters: Becker, Jess, Abby  
Pairing: Jess/Becker UST  
Prompt: Outside  
Summary: Missing scene/post-ep for episode 5x05

* * *

A T-Rex rampaging through the streets of London was bad enough; countless anomalies opening all over the country – all over the _world_ – was like something from his darkest nightmares.

He lost track of his men and could only hope they were faring okay against whatever creatures they were facing. Having split up from the team, Becker could only pray that they, too, were managing to survive.

He wouldn't – _couldn't_ – let himself think about what was happening at the ARC.

He couldn't let images of Jess in danger invade his mind or he knew he was as good as dead.

Concentrating instead on the world outside of the ARC, he did his job to the best of his ability, taking on anomaly after anomaly, creature after creature.

Saving the world one mission at a time – while doing his best not to think about what was happening to those he cared about.

When the comms went down and he lost contact with the ARC, he was almost tempted to turn around and head straight there instead of to the last anomaly site Jess had directed his team to. Instead, he kept his head in the game and focused on what needed to be done, keeping his anxiety bottled up inside him and taking his frustration at being unable to do what he wanted out on the creatures that kept on coming.

The ARC was safe, he told himself repeatedly. _Jess_ was safe. It was his mantra as the day continued, and the creatures seemed to grow more vicious. She was safe inside the walls of ARC; it was those on the outside that needed his protection.

It was until later, when his phone beeped and her name came through on a text message, that Becker realised just how wrong he was.

* * *

_Next up is our final story in Milestones I - 5x06 with the prompt 'Inside'. (And yes, I know the text didn't actually get there till 5x06 but... erm... Yeah. I got nothing.)_


	17. Inside

Title: Milestones 1: 17 Inside  
Author: DrawnToDarkness  
Rating: T  
Characters: Becker, Jess  
Pairing: Jess/Becker UST  
Prompt: Inside  
Summary: Missing scene/post-ep for episode 5x06. Last in the 'Milestones I' series.

* * *

The ARC was supposed to be safe. _Jess_ was supposed to be safe.

Dread built up in his stomach as he drove the team – a little erratically, he would later admit – back to the ARC from the site of the giant anomaly where Prospero's New Dawn project had once been based. He would swear that his heart had stopped when he'd received her text message, so short and to the point that he'd been tempted to ignore everyone else, hop in his truck and drive straight to her.

_'Trapped in ARC w/ Predators.'_

No smiley face, no kiss. Becker's grip on the steering wheel tightened as the thought ran through his head that it might be the last text message he'd ever receive from her.

No. No, that wasn't possible. He wouldn't _let it_ be possible. He clenched his jaw and ground his teeth.

He was not losing Jess. He _couldn't_ lose Jess. Not without telling her… not without her knowing…

Images flashed through his mind, a slide show of events he'd begun to let himself imagine and dream about. Their first kiss, their first night, waking up with her, falling asleep with her, introducing her to his family…

Things that would never happen if she died. Milestones that would haunt him forever, along with all of the missed opportunities and thoughts of 'what if…'

He slammed his foot on the breaks when they made it to the ARC car park, the stillness of the building causing his stomach to churn.

Silently, the team unloaded the EMDs from his truck. Matt felt into step beside him but the glance the team leader threw his way went unacknowledged.

Sympathy, empathy, understanding… They weren't what he needed. Becker needed to focus – and he needed to find Jess.

Even if she was… Even if he was too late. He needed to be the one to find her. He needed to see…

Swallowing reflexively, his hand tightened around the EMD and he led the way into the darkened building.

* * *

There was blood on her face, on her hands and on her clothes.

Becker felt a momentary pang of relief that it wasn't hers, then felt guilty that even a tiny part of him was pleased that Lester was hurt instead of Jess.

Physically, at least.

The Field Co-ordinator who looked at him through dazed eyes, her face pale and cool to the touch, her slender shoulders trembling under the weight of his hand, was not the Jess Parker he knew and loved.

And he knew in that moment that it was true; he loved her.

It was more than a temporary infatuation, more than a short spell of lust-driven affection. The incident with the beetles had driven home just how deeply his feelings for Jess truly ran and the thought of her being trapped with the predators had convinced him he couldn't wait any longer to tell her.

He was reluctant to leave her side but knew he had to. First to see to Lester, being the qualified Field Medic that he was, and then to go back to the anomaly site with the team to try and avert the end of the world as they knew it.

He was certain, though, that the image of Jess's pale, blood streaked face and her big wide blue eyes watching them leave would stay with him for a long time to come.

* * *

Losing his truck the anomaly was a pain, not just because of the things he had in it but also because it took twice as long to get back to the ARC once a back-up team had been dispatched to pick them up. Though he was riding high on adrenaline after the success of the mission and Matt's safe return, he was anxious to get back to the ARC to make sure that Jess was okay.

Walking into the ops room with Abby and Connor, Becker hesitated for a split second when he saw Jess walking towards them across the hub, all visible signs of strain from the day's events erased from her face. There was still a shadow in her eye, though, and he made a mental note to see to it that that, too, disappeared in time.

He welcomed the opportunity to snatch a few moments alone with her, joining her as she went to the medical bay to rescue the medics from Lester's temper, unable to resist pressing a hand to the small of her back, needing some form of physical contact with her to reassuring himself that she was alive.

Jess glanced up at him, a brilliant smile on her face, relief in her eyes.

His breath caught in his throat but Becker managed to hold it together until they were walking along an empty corridor, and then all of a sudden he was tugging her against him, arms wrapped around her as he buried his face in her hair. Half expecting her to push him away, he was pleasantly surprised when her own arms went around him, just as tightly if not tighter than his around her.

They stayed holding each other silently for only a few moments, but it was long enough to cement themselves back in reality and soothe the anxieties that still lingered from the traumas of the day.

Jess stepped back when they heard voices coming closer – Lester's voice, and that of a harassed sounding medic. An uncertain smile curled the corners of her mouth and he had a feeling he would have given into the impulse to kiss it away if not for the voices getting closer.

"Can I see you later?" He quirked an eyebrow and watched over her shoulder as the medic pushed Lester in a wheelchair around the corner towards them.

"Unless you keep your eyes closed, I'm sure you will." Jess bit her lip to hide a smile and turned to meet Lester and the medic as they approached.

Becker rolled his eyes but felt an answering grin tug at his lips, doing his best to keep it from showing as Lester grumbled loudly.

Later, in Becker's mind, couldn't come soon enough.

* * *

_Here we are at the end of Milestones I - and the beginning of Milestones II, wherein Becker will definitely get his 'later'!_

Milestones II will be post series five and will focus completely on the progression of Jess and Becker's relationship... and probably not much else, if I'm honest. It may also have a couple of M-rated chapters (though probably mainly 'T' rated ones) but I'll make sure they're properly labelled so you can avoid them if that's not your thing ;) Look out for it starting at some point in the not-so-distant future, I hope, with the prompt 'First'. 

_Thank you, as always, to everyone for their support - you're all amazing and give me hope this fandom will last a long, long time. And with such amazing, lovely fans, hopefully one day we'll get lucky and get our series six! ;) xx_


End file.
